Tesco's dealings with suppliers appear to be at the centre of the latest problem to emerge at the UK's largest retailer. And it is an issue that has left many industry watchers left shaking their heads in bewilderment today (22 September).

General Mills' move for Annie's has further fuelled the belief US natural and organic food companies, including Hain Celestial and WhiteWave Foods, could become takeover targets for mainstream groups searching for growth. But the price General Mills has agreed to pay for Annie's also underlines such deals would likely be expensive.

Looking at Danone's share price yesterday, one is left with the impression there is an expectation of changes at the French food group now Frank Riboud is to step down as CEO. However, those expecting wholesale change at Danone should perhaps not be so hasty. The executive moves at the top of the yoghurt maker suggest Riboud will still be central to the company's overall strategy.

Size matters, right? Scale - and the economic benefits that come with it - provide a business with clout smaller competitors find hard to battle. However, could large food companies be losing some of the advantage gained from their size?

Strategically, Dairy Crest's deals with fellow UK dairy group Fayrefield Foods and New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra to serve the global infant formula market are astute moves. But the deals could also catch the eye of some of the world's larger dairy processors about Dairy Crest's new capabilities.

Cynics will scoff a company the size of Nestle can easily afford to become a "Living Wage" employer in the UK. And perhaps there would be an element of truth in that. But the fact the world's largest food maker is willing to invest in its staff should be applauded - and the hope is some of its closest competitors - companies with vast resources of their own - will follow.

The City has welcomed Premier Foods' moves to spin off parts of its businesses into joint ventures but it is still the performance of the UK group's core brands that moves its shares - and that concerns investors.

With the bidding war for Hillshire Brands intensifying, it is pertinent to point out just how correct Sara Lee's management - and those on Wall Street that supported the split - were about the shareholder benefits of separating the old business.

For the more patriotic sections of Australia's food industry, there is likely to be some dismay at the prospect of another local food company falling into overseas ownership. But the proposed sale of Goodman Fielder, one of the country's largest food manufacturers, looks to be the right move for its shareholders - and for the business as a whole.

In the US, a market where volume sales have been and remain under pressure, it has been expected in certain quarters that boardrooms would increasingly run the rule over potential acquisitions. Hillshire Brands executives have moved again - this time with a major deal for Pinnacle Foods.

Desperate for growth in a moribund trading environment, there are signs some food manufacturers operating in the US are using acquisitions to bolster their presence in more vibrant parts of the industry. Should others follow?

Tesco is reportedly looking at rolling out a food-to-go concept in London in its latest bid to try to find some growth in its domestic market. But, if the move happens, is it really wise to enter such a competitive space?

There is a growing consensus that a warming climate has an impact on food production - putting supply firmly at the debate over food security. But the demands of a growing global population are just as important to consider as industry, government and academia wrestle over how to solve the issue.

The sense of disarray swirling around The Co-operative Group intensified today (11 March) with the resignation of CEO Euan Sutherland, who took a swipe at the way the UK retailer was being run. Sutherland's exit will add to the sorry headlines made by The Co-op in recent months but, more importantly, they will distract the company away from the work it needs to do to turn around parts of its business, including food retail.

Ian McLeod's tenure at Coles should be judged a success, taking a retailer suffering from stock issues, long queues and falling sales and revitalising the business into one that looked one step ahead of its larger rival.

Read the financial statements and listen to the conference calls from US food manufacturers in recent days and it is clear: companies operating there are still facing tough conditions and cautious consumers.

After a period of flagging sales, Nestle investors may have been hoping the food giant would offload its stake in L'Oreal to fund a programme of share buybacks. In fact, the company has decided to only trim its L'Oreal stake and, in the process, gain full control of a skin health venture between the two sides - a move that underlines Nestle's wise longer-term strategy to target health and wellness in its broadest sense.

Kellogg continues to see its cereal sales come under pressure and is set to launch a marketing push that puts its namesake brand front and centre. But will that be enough to revitalise that part of its business?

Post Holdings, the US food group best known for breakfast cereals, has broadened its business in the last 18 months. This week, Post continued its expansion in what it calls "active nutrition" with the acquisition of Nestle's sports nutrition business. However, Post has a challenge on its hands revitalising flagship brand PowerBar. Dean Best reports.

The first significant impacts of Kellogg's plan to free up resources to boost its faltering business in mature markets (and invest in emerging economies) were revealed last week. However, the US food group may have to make bolder moves to shore up its long-term growth prospects.

Food giants Nestle and Kellogg have become the latest companies to make structural changes to their businesses. Nestle has sold the bulk of its Jenny Craig assets and more disposals could follow, while Kellogg is to cut jobs and plough the savings into boosting growth.

Emerging market economies are cooling but markets like Brazil and China can still offer opportunities for growth. Adapting to a steadier pace of growth will be the name of the game, as Wal-Mart and Nestle highlighted last week.